Convince you! Come on, it's obvious that girls on bikes are cool! And I don't mean naked ones. hahaha.But seriously, either you are a biker or you're not. If you've never been on a MC, find a mature friend who is a safe rider to take you for a ride. I know a few people who took their first ride with someone who went too fast or tried to show off and scared them off bikes forever. If you get bit by the bug (which is different from a bug in the helmet), find a motorcycle safety course and take it. You use their bikes and learn the proper ways to do everything safely. I had been riding for 10 years before I took the course, and I learned a lot. And, usually you can get your licence thru the course, which is easier and not as stressful as taking the test on the road. Start small. Don't go and buy a brand new Harley Road King. Find something used, around 550cc's, and where your feet are flat on the ground when you sit on the seat. Join an organization, they teach you and it's always more fun to ride with others. I belong to Women on Wheels and Ladies of HOG, but there are so many more clubs out there.Buy the proper clothes and equipment. No shorts and sneakers. My boots and chaps saved me from some serious road rash and injury. There was a half inch chunk out of my boot heel, and I can't imagine how much of my fleshy heel would have been gone without the protective covering of the heavy boot. And practice, practice, practice, practice. Everyone dumps their bike. If they say they have never done it, then they are lying. Which is why you don't start out with a new bike. I really enjoy riding. Partly for the 'cool' factor. Women on bikes are still enuf of a rarity. But, I don't dress as a woman, I have black leather, full face helmet, and I look like a guy, until I stop and take off the jacket. Then you see the pink. Riding in the country can be very relaxing. The sun beats down on you, the wind caresses your neck and flows through your jacket and you can really smell the cow poop as you pass the farm. Or the smell of the ripe grapes as you pass the vineyard. Or the smell of the fresh-cut grass. You are generally more observant on a bike, you have to be, and you notice that deer standing on the edge of the woods, or the purple flowers at the corner or the old man who sits on his porch and waves at you when you go by. You are automatically a member of a club, most bikers wave to each other as they pass by. I do the 'hand low, peace sign wave', which is usually interpreted as 'harley, V-twin'. Newbies wave by not even lifting their hand off of the clutch handle. Preferred parking, as you don't need a whole car space to fit your bike in.Good gas mileage. I can go a little over 100 miles with my 2 gallon tank.You can't be a girly-girl. If you can't stand to see a hair out of place, forget it. Helmet head is a real disease, and there is no cure. I opt for the ponytail, so at least I don't look like I just woke up when I take my helmet off. New friends. The typical biker you see on TV exists, but 99% of bikers are normal folks with normal jobs and normal lives. I started out on the back of a bike, but once I rode my own, that was it. I will never (well, probably never unless it's an emergency) ride on the back again. I am in control, I control my destiny, I control if I turn right into the sunset or left to go home. And I love the leather. Mmm, sexy. Boy, this comment turned out really long, but it is something that I take seriously and is near and dear to my heart. I hope I don't come off as preaching, but, motorcycles are not bicycles, and the faster you go, the more you can get hurt if you don't pay attention and protect yourself. Your birthday is coming up, right? It makes a nice gift to yourself. So, give it a try and go get one!And keep the shiny side up!

Ha, you have my hair! (I just had a hair post with redina) And yeah, I have 2 human-powered bikes (a flat bar road and a mountain bike with no suspension so my wrists are stuffed).

The guys at work have been pushing me into getting a motorbike because the petrol prices are kind of...STEEP. I keep swinging between yes and no. Convince me! I do love riding. We don't have snow though. My old boss used to tease my other old boss about his motorcycle habits - kept calling him "The Weatherman" because he only rode on fine days.